Improvement in car-couplings



S. SLACK.

Car Coupling.

No. 42.696. Patented May 10, 1864.

Inventor,

:28- v Fy mffim /0W Witnesses:

I. PHXETQ'UTHQCUNX. (OSBORNE'S PROCESS.) v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STRICKLAND SLACK, OF OXFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COU PLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,696, dated May 10,1861.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STRIGKLAND SLACK, of Oxford, in the county ofChester, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedMode of Constructing the Shackling for Railroad-Cars; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is to provide a means by which railroad-carsmay be shackled and unshackled without the necessity of a man goingbetween the cars for that purpose, and thus avoiding accidents, whichfrequently 03cm in that operation.

To accomplish this I construct my bnnter in the form of an elongatedsquare box, A A, Figure I. IVithin the bunterI place the piece of metalB. Fig. IV, is a perspective "iew of the piece B, Fig. I, detached fromthe bunt- (-r. This piece of metal is attached to the end ofa metallicrod, 1), within the banter, as shown in Figs. I and III. The other endof the rod passes through ahole in the partition C, Figs. I and III,which will admit of the piece B being moved back and forth in thebanter. Between the piece B and the partition C the rod is surrounded bya spiral spring, or its equivalent, which extends from the piece B tothe partition C, as shown in Figs. I and III. When the bolt D is drawnout and the link E is removed, the spring forces the piece B out so thatthe projecting part of it passes under the upper hole in the b interthrough which the bolt D passes and prevents the bolt from droppingthrough the hunter until the piece B is forced back by the link E. Thelink is made in the form shown by Fig. V, which is a flat iron bar withan oblong hole through each end through which the bolt passes. This modeof making the ink greatly increases the strength thereof.

Fig. III represents the hunter with the bottom part removed, and withthe link and bolt in the position they occupy when the cars areshackled. Fig. II is an end view of the car, with my arrangement forunshacklin g.

FFFis a frame for the support of thelevers. G is a le er with itsfulcrum at H, and the end extending through the bolt D. The bolt isretained on the lever by the knob I, or by any other means that willanswer the desired end. K is also a lever with its fulcrum at L near itscenter, M being the handle. The levers are connected by the rod N,attached to the end of the lever K, by means of a nut, or otherwise,asis shown at O. The other end of the rodis attached to the lever G, as isshown at P. Bearingdown the handle M raises the lever Gr, to which thebolt D is attached, and draws the bolt out of the hunter, when thepieceB springs forward and prevents the bolt fro-m dropping through thebnnter until the piece B is forced back beyond the hole by the link E.

In shackling, the link E, on entering the opening of the hunter, strikesthe piece B and forces it back, and the bolt D drops through the linkand shackles the cars, avoiding the danger in going between the cars forthe purpose of inserting the bolt. In unshackling, the man,instead ofgoing between the cars, stands on the platform of the car, or on thetop, and by bearing downthe handle M draws the bolt 1) out of the hunterand unshackles the cars.

hat I claim as new in my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

The piece B and spring b, in combination with the levers G and K, thebolt D, and the link E, substantially as set forth, and for the purposespecified.

STRICKLAND SLACK.

Witnesses:

H. J. BAMSDELL, CHARLES HERRON.

